Some victims are just guilty themselves

Convincing modern people that they are sinners is a big problem for Christian apologetics, and has been for many decades.

Moderns are nihilists - they don't believe in the reality of reality - so they believe that sin is relativistic, and can be redefined-away.

Why repent of a sin when that sin can be abolished by a change of law?

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Modern people are encouraged by the culture to interpret their feelings of guilt as evidence of oppression - instead of recognizing themselves as sinners, dyed in the wool, they feel themselves to be victims.

No matter what their own faults, no matter what their own imperfections, their bottom-line self-understanding is as a victim.

It is not that they suppose themselves perfect, nor that they are immune from guilt - but that victimhood trumps guilt.

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This ultimate, existential self-definition as a victim goes right through modern society, from the most powerful person in the world to the most aggressively parasitic lowlife; and this status pretty much defines the secular-Christian divide.

Self-defined victimhood is at the polar opposite of Christian humility.

That reminds me of unfavorable reviews where instead of having done a much better job as a musician in the first place, the guilt is turned around into victimizer accusations against random reviewers. For more proof, which of the two options is productive and the other useless?

Phoenix

While I wholeheartedly agree that people's feelings of victimhood is a disgusting epidemic of mental illness, I disagree that innate sinfulness is its polar opposite.

It seems people tend to go around harboring mutually-contradictory theories, bouncing from one to another when temporary circumstances make it convenient. To say that a person can embrace either the conception of victimhood or that of innate sinfulness it so say that in general people have fully digested their beliefs and fully integrated them into their paradigm alongside all their other beliefs, but this would be giving the average person far too much credit. Instead, sometimes believing in victimhood is convenient, other times believing in innate sinfulness is convenient.

Furthermore, I certainly believe other, healthier ways of regarding one's person in terms of success and capability exist beyond the narrow dichotomy considered in this thread, but I assume we all agree on this and are just referring to this dichotomy as an example?

I rarely watch TV, and never programs like this, but my attention was brought to this video, and throughout its duration, I couldn't stop thinking of this post. A cautionary tale of what can happen when you identify yourself as a victim.

I rarely watch TV, and never programs like this, but my attention was brought to this video, and throughout its duration, I couldn't stop thinking of this post. A cautionary tale of what can happen when you identify yourself as a victim.

Seems like the participants would rather play victims and brush off criticism from an obviously wiser source as mere personal insults, rather than confront their personal failings. Can't help people who have no desire to help themselves.